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RIDDLES IN THE DARK SCAVENGER HUNT

Using the answers to the riddles found in the “Riddles in the Dark” chapter in The Hobbit, have participants look for books with those words in the titles (e.g. for “time,” participants could find

the book The Time Traveler’s Wife or Love in the Time of Cholera, etc.). Or, if you don’t want books to be handled, hide appropriate clues to be found, like a clock for “time” or a plastic Easter

egg for “egg.” Whoever gets the most boxes checked off at the end wins!

ANSWERS

❏ 1. A mountain

❏ 2. Teeth

❏ 3. Wind

❏ 4. Sun on daisies

❏ 5. Dark

❏ 6. Egg

❏ 7. Fish

❏ 8. Time

❏ 9. A ring



RIDDLES IN THE DARK SCAVENGER HUNT

Riddles:

1. What has roots as nobody sees,

Is taller than trees,

Up, up it goes,

And yet never grows?

2. Thirty white horses on a red hill,

First they champ,

Then they stamp,

Then they stand still.

3. Voiceless it cries,

Wingless flutters,

Toothless bites,

Mouthless mutters.

4. An eye in a blue face

Saw an eye in a green face.

“That eye is like to this eye”

Said the first eye,

“But in low place

Not in high place.”

5. It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,

Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,

It lies behind stars and under hills,

And empty holes it fills.

It comes first and follows after,

Ends life, kills laughter.

6. A box without hinges, key, or lid,

Yet golden treasure inside is hid.

7. Alive without breath,

As cold as death;

Never thirsty, ever drinking,

All in mail never clinking.

8. This thing all things devours:

Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;

Gnaws iron, bites steel;

Grinds hard stones to meal;

Slays kings, ruins town,

And beats high mountain down.

9. What has Bilbo got in his pocket?



PIN THE RING ON BILBO!Instead of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, play Pin the Ring on Bilbo! Using The Hobbit:

An Unexpected Journey movie poster, have blindfolded participants attempt to stick one of the cut-out rings below onto Bilbo’s hand or back pocket.



THE MENUEveryone knows a hobbit loves to eat (six meals a day!), so any successful Hobbit Day celebration needs plenty of snacks to munch on. From Second Breakfast to Elevensies,

here are a few ideas and recipes to get you started, but have some fun and create your own. Ask everyone to bring a treat and share the recipes. You’ll find out that the only thing

better than reading The Hobbit, is eating like one.

Recipes:Potato Cheddar Pancakes with Perfect Fried Eggs, from The Farm by Ian Knauer

Skillet-Baked Eggs with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, from Fresh and Fast Vegetarian by Marie Simmons

Jam “Sandwiches,” from Essential Pepin by Jacques Pépin

Dill Pickle Spears, from The Farm by Ian Knauer

Cheese and Mushroom Melts, from Fresh and Fast Vegetarian by Marie Simmons

Potato and Parmesan Gratin, from Gourmet Today edited by Ruth Reichl

Chicken Potpie with Green Apples and Cheddar Biscuits, from Perfect One-Dish Dinners by Pam Anderson

Mincemeat Pie, from The Farm by Ian Knauer

Meme’s Apple Tart, from Essential Pepin by Jacques Pépin

FavoRite Hobbit Foods:

Cake

Bread

Potatoes

Bacon

Sausage

Mushrooms

Cheese

Pickles

Eggs

FavoRite Hobbit dRinks:

Coffee

Tea

Red wine

Beer



potato-cHeddaR pancakes witH peRFect FRied eggs Serves 4

A perfect fried egg has crisp edges around the white and a runny yolk. The trick is to start with a very hot pan to get the crisp whites and then reduce the heat and cover the skillet to cook the rest of the white through. Covering the skillet traps the heat inside and gently cooks the top of the egg, while keeping the bottom crisp. The beauty of this technique is that there’s no need to flip the egg, so you don’t risk breaking the yolk. The potato pancakes are a treat whether or not they’re topped with eggs. A little cornstarch added to the mix makes them über-crunchy on the outside, and the chunks of cheddar inside are meltingly gooey.

5 large eggs

2 (8-ounce) russet potatoes

1 medium onion

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Kosher salt and black pepper

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Beat 1 of the eggs in a medium bowl. Peel the potatoes, then grate them into the bowl using the large holes of a box grater. Grate the onion into the bowl. Toss the potato mixture with the cheese, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Divide the potato mixture into 4 mounds in the skillet, then flatten each mound into a patty. Cover the skillet and cook until the bot-toms of the pancakes are golden and the edges are crisp. Flip the pancakes over and continue to cook, covered, until they are golden and crisp, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the pancakes to plates and wipe out the skillet.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Crack the remaining 4 eggs into the skillet and cook until the edges are crispy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the skillet, and continue to cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes.

Top each potato pancake with a fried egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

“Potato Cheddar Pancakes with Perfect Fried Eggs” from The Farm: Rustic Recipes for a Year of Incredible Food. Copyright © 2012 by Ian Knauer. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.



skillet-baked eggs witH blisteRed cHeRRy tomatoesServes 2 to 4

Quick and easy, eggs nestled in a skillet of tomatoes that have been seared in a hot pan until their skins blister make an ap-pealing main dish for lunch or supper. If you like, serve one egg for each person on a bed of steaming hot quinoa or bulgur, mashed potatoes, a thick slice of toasted whole-grain Italian bread, or a mound of polenta. You can use almost any cheese on top, such as dry Jack, Comté, cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Italian fontina, Manchego, or aged Gruyère.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, stems removed

½ cup thin-slivered onion

1 garlic clove, grated

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, cilantro, or dill

½ teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 large eggs

¾ cup shredded cheese (see headnote)

Heat a large skillet until it is hot enough to sizzle and evaporate a drop of water. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat. Add the tomatoes and cook over high heat, stirring, until blistered and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the tomatoes are juicy, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, salt, and a generous grinding of black pepper.

Break an egg into a small cup. Make an indentation in the sizzling tomatoes with a spoon and slip the egg into the indenta-tion. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the eggs are set, about 5 minutes. Use a spatula or wide spoon to scoop out servings of eggs and tomatoes.

“Skillet-Baked Eggs with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes “ from Fresh & Fast Vegetarian: Recipes that Make a Meal by Marie Simmons. Copyright © 2011 by Marie Simmons. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.



Jam “sandwicHes”Serves 4

Jam sandwiches are fun to make for a party. Thin slices of firm-textured pound cake are spread with different-flavored jams and served in traditional sandwich fashion, or open-faced, with the colorful jam spread on the surface of each slice. To add diversity to your dessert tray, select several jam flavors and cut the sandwiches into unusual shapes. I begin with a piece of pound cake 6 inches long by 5 inches wide. Serve the sandwiches on their own or with sherbet or ice cream.

6 ounces pound cake

1½ tablespoons raspberry jam

1½ tablespoons apricot jam

1½ tablespoons blackberry jam

Trim away the outside of the pound cake and cut the cake into 6 slices, each ¼ inch thick.

Spread the raspberry jam on 1 slice, the apricot jam on another slice, and the blackberry jam on a third slice. Top with the remaining pound cake slices, to create 3 sandwiches. Cut each into different shapes: one into 4 squares, one into 4 triangles, and one into 4 rectangles.

Arrange on a plate and serve.

“Jam Sandwiches” from Essential Pepin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food. Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.



dill pickle speaRs Makes 8 pints

Once you realize how easy it is to make your own pickles, you’ll probably never go back to buying them. There is something very satisfying about cracking open a jar of homemade dill spears. Canning or pickling salt dissolves more easily in room-temperature water than kosher salt and is available at many grocery stores.

1¼ cups canning or pickling salt

2 gallons room-temperature water, plus 2 quarts for the brine

8 pounds Kirby cucumbers (about 5 inches long)

1½ quarts apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons pickling spices

8 teaspoons mustard seeds

8 large fresh dill sprigs

Stir ¾ cup of the salt into the 2 gallons water until dissolved. Place the cucumbers in a large glass bowl, then pour the salt water over them. Let them stand at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight. Drain the cucumbers, discarding the liquid. Trim the ends from the cucumbers and discard, then slice the cucumbers lengthwise into spears.

Combine the vinegar, sugar, pickling spices, the remaining 2 quarts water, and the remaining ½ cup salt in a large heavy pot, then bring the pickling brine to a simmer.

Place 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 dill sprig in each of 8 sterilized pint canning jars. Fill the canning jars with the cucum-ber spears, then pour the pickling brine over them, leaving ¼ inch of space at the tops. Cap the jars and process in boiling water for 10 minutes. Let the jars cool at room temperature until they seal. Let the pickles age for at least 1 week before opening. They will keep for at least a year in a cool, dry, dark place.

“Dill Pickle Spears” from The Farm: Rustic Recipes for a Year of Incredible Food. Copyright © 2012 by Ian Knauer. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.



cHeese and musHRoom meltsServes 4

Keep mushrooms on hand for this gooey, rich, and satisfying open-faced melt. Use a crusty round or other wide loaf that will make substantial-sized slices about 3 inches wide and 6 inches long. If a wide loaf isn’t available, cut a long loaf into large diagonal slices.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to brush bread

8 ounces large white or cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced (¼ to 1/3 inch)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, including tender stems

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 garlic clove, grated

½ teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 large, thick (½-inch) slices whole wheat bread (see headnote)

4 ounces mozzarella, Comté, Manchego, Italian fontina, Gruyère, Parmigiano-Reggiano or other good melting cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it is hot enough to sizzle a slice of mushroom. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a steady sizzle, until the mushrooms are golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt, and a generous grinding of pepper and cook, stirring, over low heat, for 2 minutes.

Adjust the oven rack so that the top of the bread will be about 3 inches from the broiler. Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet, brush lightly on both sides with oil, and broil on one side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn the bread over and broil for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven; leave the broiler on. Spoon the mush-rooms on top of the bread in a flat layer, dividing evenly.

Use a cheese plane or a vegetable peeler to cut enough cheese into curls or thin slices to cover the mushrooms on each slice of bread. Return the pan to the broiler and broil until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

“Cheese and Mushroom Melts” from Fresh & Fast Vegetarian: Recipes that Make a Meal by Marie Simmons. Copyright © 2011 by Marie Simmons. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.



potato and paRmesan gRatinServes 8

This sumptuous dish just may be the ideal marriage of potatoes and cheese. The recipe comes from Oriana Neri of Bologna, a cook who opens her kitchen to guests as a part of Home Food, a program that invites members to dine in private homes all across Italy.

4 pounds medium boiling potatoes

1½ teaspoons fine sea salt or table salt

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

7 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (about 21/3 cups)

Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel potatoes. Cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices with mandolin or other adjustable-blade vegetable slicer or a sharp knife, spread-ing slices out on a large kitchen towel. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Stir together cream and milk. Dot bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with 1 ½ tablespoons butter and pour in 1/3 cup cream mixture. Divide potatoes into 5 piles (don’t rinse or dry them). Layer potatoes in baking dish, one pile per layer, drizzling 1/3 cup cream mixture and sprinkling one quarter of cheese over each layer. Drizzle remaining cream mixture over final layer of potatoes and dot with remaining 1½ tablespoons butter.

Bake, uncovered, until potatoes are very tender and top is browned, about 2 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

“Potato and Parmesan Gratin” from Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen. Copyright © 2009 by Ruth Reichl. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.



cHicken potpie witH gReen apples and cHeddaR biscuitsServes 8

This recipe makes one big potpie, but to save time or simplify, make two potpies using 9-inch pie plates or 8-inch square baking pans and top with refrigerated store-bought piecrust from a 15-ounce box, following baking instructions below. Or freeze the second pie for another occasion, and bake it (still frozen) at 400 degrees until golden and bubbly, about 1 hour.

cHicken

2 cups chicken broth

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

¾ stick (6 tablespoons) butter, divided

2 large leeks, dark green leaves trimmed away, washed thoroughly to remove grit, light green and white parts chopped

2 large Granny Smith apples, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise

1 large rotisserie chicken, shredded (5–6 cups)

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage

¼ cup cream sherry

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

biscuits

2 cups bleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, frozen solid

1 cup cold buttermilk, plus a few more teaspoons if necessary

cHicken: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Microwave chicken broth and evaporated milk in a microwave-safe bowl until steamy, 3 to 4 minutes.

continued on next page



Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large (11- to 12-inch) deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and apples and cook, stirring, until just tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer leeks and apples, along with chicken, to a large bowl; set aside.

Heat remaining ½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter over medium heat in the empty skillet. When foaming subsides, whisk in flour and sage and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in hot-milk mixture and simmer, stirring, until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Turn off heat, stir in sherry, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir sauce, along with pars-ley, into chicken mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pour mixture into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or divide between two 8-inch square baking pans or two 9-inch pie plates.

biscuits: Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cheddar with a fork in a medium bowl. Using a box grater, coarsely grate frozen butter into dry ingredients; mix quickly with fingertips to evenly blend. Mix buttermilk into dry ingre-dients with a fork until dough just comes together. Pinch dough with fingers into small rough rounds and place over filling. Bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve.

“Chicken Potpie with Green Apples and Cheddar Biscuits” from Perfect One-Dish Dinners: All You Need for Easy Get-Togethers. Copyright © 2010 by Pam Anderson. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.



mincemeat pie Makes one 9-inch pie (makes enough filling for four 9-inch pies)

This pie has been served at our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables for generations. Although it used to be common to put ground beef in your dessert, mincemeat has fallen out of fashion in this country, which is too bad, because it’s delicious. This recipe makes enough filling for four 9-inch pies, and it freezes particularly well. After you’ve made 1 pie, divide the remaining filling into 3 quarts. Freeze each quart of filling separately and thaw and reheat when you’re ready to use it.

FoR tHe pastRy dougH

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2–3 tablespoons cold water

FoR tHe mincemeat

3 pounds ground beef (or beef and pork mixed)

8 ounces ground suet

2 pounds raisins

2 pounds dried currants

2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

8 apples (2½ quarts), chopped

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

continued on next page



2 cups apple cider

1 cup orange juice

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup dry white wine

½ cup apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

½ cup honey

½ cup molasses

½ stick unsalted butter

Dark rum for serving

Vanilla ice cream for serving

make tHe pastRy dougH: Work together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter with your hands until mostly combined, with some small lumps of butter remaining. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the water with a fork. Press a small handful of dough together; if it looks powdery and does not come together, stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon water. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Using the edge of the plastic, fold the dough over onto itself, pressing until it comes together. Form the dough into a disk, wrap completely in the plastic, and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F, with a rack in the middle.

Roll out the pastry dough on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie tin and crimp the edges. Place a sheet of parchment paper or foil over the dough, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust until it is set, about 25 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and the pie weights, then continue to bake the crust until it is golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let the pie shell cool to room temperature before filling.

meanwHile, make tHe mincemeat: Brown the meat and suet, stirring occasionally, in a large heavy skillet (prefer-ably cast-iron) over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat with a slotted spoon to a large heavy pot.

Add the remaining mincemeat ingredients to the pot with the beef and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced and the filling is thickened, about 1¼ hours. Let the filling cool to warm, then spoon one quarter of the filling into the pie shell. (The remaining filling can be frozen in gallon airlock bags for up to 6 months; see headnote.) Serve the pie with dark rum poured over it and vanilla ice cream.

“Mincemeat Pie” from The Farm: Rustic Recipes for a Year of Incredible Food. Copyright © 2012 by Ian Knauer. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.



mémé’s apple taRtServes 6

The dough for this tart, unlike any other, achieves its tender, crumbly, airy texture from a combination of vegetable shortening or lard, baking powder, and warm milk. Since the dough is too soft to roll, it is pressed into the pan by hand.

dougH

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard, at room temperature

¼ cup milk, heated to lukewarm

Filling

2 pounds Golden Delicious or McIntosh apples (6 medium)

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with a rack in the center.

FoR tHe dougH: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add the shortening or lard and mix with a spoon or your hands until the mixture feels and looks sandy. Add the warm milk and stir rapidly for a few seconds, until the dough is well mixed.

Using a sheet of plastic wrap to help you, fit the dough into a 9-inch quiche pan or tart pan with a removable bottom. With your fingers, press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Set aside.

FoR tHe Filling: Peel the apples, quarter them, and remove the cores. Arrange the apple quarters, cut side up, in circles on top of the dough and sprinkle the sugar evenly over them. Cut the butter into small pieces and dot the apples with the butter.

Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the apples are browned and crusty.

Let cool to lukewarm, then cut into wedges and serve.“Meme’s Apple Tart” from Essential Pepin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food. Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin.

Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.



WRITE YOUR NAME IN DWARVEN RUNES!

Using the Dwarven alphabet below, write your name on these “Hello, My Name Is…” name tags (formatted to print on Avery 5395 or equivalent).

HELLOmy name is

HELLOmy name is

HELLOmy name is

HELLOmy name is

HELLOmy name is

HELLOmy name is

HELLOmy name is

HELLOmy name is

www.Readthehobbit.com

an educatoR’s Guide

Many decades ago in England, a highly respected professor at Oxford was correcting exam papers and, having a few minutes to spare, idly scribbled on a blank page in an exam book, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” He didn’t even know what a hobbit was, or why he wrote those words. But they were, nevertheless, the beginning of one of the most famous fantasy adventure tales ever written. The professor was J.R.R. Tolkien, and the book, of course, was The Hobbit.

“One of the best children’s books of this century.”

— w. h. auden

“One of the most freshly original and delightfully imaginative books for children that have appeared in many a long day . . . The Hobbit is a glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense

and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible . . . All those, young or old, who love a fine adventurous tale, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts.”

— new YoRk times book Review

about the book

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his door-step one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

PRe-ReadinG activities

° Ask readers to share what they think are the essential elements of a great adventure story.

° Ask readers to share what they think are qualities that make a person heroic.

° Introduce readers to the archetypal elements of the classic hero’s journey.

eXPLoRinG chaRacteR

° How does Tolkien reveal character in The Hobbit?

° Is Bilbo consistent in his actions? Is he a fully developed character? How? Why?

° How does Bilbo change and/or develop as a character over the course of the story?

° How does Bilbo relate to other characters in the book?

° Do you find the characters likable? Who are the characters and creatures in the story you would want to meet?

° What does Tolkien reveal about the goblins? Why do you think he chooses not to describe their physical appearance?

° How are Bilbo and Gollum alike? What skills does Bilbo exhibit in how he deals with Gollum?

° What does Bilbo gain from his adventure? What is the difference in the way his home is dear to him at the end of the story?

° Why doesn’t Bilbo tell the dwarves about his ring? Do you consider this lying?

° Why does Bilbo give up the Arkenstone? What does that gesture reveal about his character?

° Why does he return to the Mountain?

° Discuss Beorn’s character. Is he virtuous or vicious?

° Using the pattern of the mythic hero’s journey, trace the character development of Bilbo Baggins.

° Identify the following developments in the story: a call to adventure; a separation from the known world; initiation into a new world; threats to the successful achievement of the quest; the fellowship of close

° 2 °

companions; the guidance of a mentor; a descent into darkness; a rebirth or resurrection; and the transformed hero’s return to the old world.

° Although Bilbo, like all heroes of epic tales, sets out on a quest and faces and overcomes many obstacles, his heroism is not quite epic. In what ways is Bilbo a reluctant hero?

° What is heroic and not so heroic about Bilbo? How is Bilbo like or unlike contemporary questing heroes in movies and fantasy stories?

eXPLoRinG conFLict

° What are examples of conflict in The Hobbit? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) do you see?

eXPLoRinG metaPhoR and sYmboLism

° What are examples of symbolism in The Hobbit? How do they relate to the plot and characters?

the dRaGon—In fantasy literature, dragons often serve as metaphors for greed. Readers may question, how-ever, who is the real dragon: Smaug, or Thorin, or any of the elves and men who lust for the treasure beneath the Lonely Mountain? Once Smaug is killed, the greed over the wealth he leaves behind turns what should be “the happy ending” of this story into an occasion for war and violence and even betrayal.

miRkwood FoRest—Metaphorically, Mirkwood represents the mythic “descent into darkness,” through which the hero faces a crisis or turning point and achieves greater self-knowledge. Bilbo kills spiders and begins to feel braver than he did when entering the forest; it is just after Mirkwood, in the dungeons of the elf-king, that Bilbo, by himself, concocts a plan to rescue the imprisoned dwarves. He journeys to the metaphorical underworld and emerges a new person.

the shiRe—On one level, the pastoral homeland of the hobbits is Tolkien’s idealized portrait of rustic, rural England. It also symbolizes a withdrawn and insulated life. Bilbo leaves the Shire to engage the world and to find his place in it. The Shire represents comfort and tranquility, not bad in and of themselves, but also not all that constitutes life. When Bilbo returns to the Shire, he is a more experienced and more knowledgeable person than he could have been had he stayed in the Shire forever. He learns to value the world outside; as his own song puts it, “The road goes ever on.” He also learns a lot about himself. There are always more journeys—outer as well as inner—to be taken, even at one’s own home.

° 3 °

eXPLoRinG motiFs

Although Tolkien creates a unique imaginary world, he also borrows extensively from the traditional elements of myths, fairy tales, fables, and folk tales. Ask readers to compare Tolkien’s use of these motifs with the way they are used in myths or fairy tales students are familiar with:

° wise adviseRs

° dwaRves, eLves, tRoLLs

° taLkinG animaLs

° RiddLes and Runes

° maGic objects

° undeRwoRLd settinGs

° dRaGons

° shaPe-shiFteRs

° the tReasuRe tRove

° the PeRiLous jouRneY

eXPLoRinG naRRative

° Why is it important that Gandalf is not present when the expedition meets the trolls in chapter two?

° When, how, and why does the narrative tone of The Hobbit change?

° What is the role of fate in The Hobbit?

° Does the story end the way you expected? How? Why?

° In his book Secret Gardens: The Golden Age of Children’s Literature (Houghton Mifflin, 1985), Humphrey Carpenter calls The Hobbit “largely a sustained exploration of evil” (212). Explain why you agree or disagree with his description.

eXPLoRinG settinG

° How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?

° How do the different settings in the story relate to plot, theme, and character development?

° 4 °

eXPLoRinG themes

What are some themes in the story? How do they relate to the plot and characters?

“moRe than meets the eYe”—How does this phrase summarize the experience of Bilbo Baggins and Bilbo’s experience of himself ? Bilbo is an unlikely hero, but from the outset of the adventure Gandalf knows that the little hobbit has it within him to be more than even Bilbo imagines. Both the other charac-ters’ growing knowledge of Bilbo, and Bilbo’s own deepening awareness of himself express the theme of self-knowledge that is at the heart of many mythic quest tales.

GReed and PRide—The theme of the danger of too much pride and of greed is found throughout The Hobbit. Thorin, who loses much because of his stubborn commitment to ancestral pride and desire for his family treasure, is a cautionary example. The broken relationships between men, elves, and dwarves at the end of the book warn readers of how greed and pride can damage the social fabric.

moRaLitY—Readers may want to consider the question of “What is moral?” in the context of The Hobbit. The hero of the story is a burglar who conceals the truth from his friends, doesn’t quite “play fair” in a riddle contest, and steals the one part of the treasure that Thorin most desires. Do the ends always, or even often, justify the means? Is Bilbo consistently obeying a larger and greater good? How might the theme of morality interact with the theme of “More Than Meets the Eye”?

enGaGement and withdRawaL—The Hobbit raises the questions of how and when to engage with the wider world. Tolkien presents Bilbo’s home in “Bag-End” as a quite comfortable place, but it is not the sum total of the “wide world” (as Gandalf phrases it) either. Like Bilbo, we all must discover our place in the wide world, even if it ends up being a “small” one.

LeaRninG FRom the Past—The past is very much present in The Hobbit: for Thorin, for the Wood-elves, for the Master and the people of Esgaroth, for Bard, and even for Bilbo, who must reconcile the “Baggins” and “Took” sides of his personality. Readers can consider the questions: How aware am I of my personal and social history? Does that history affect me largely for good or for ill? To what extent should we respect and learn from the past, and to what extent should we let it be past?

Post-ReadinG activities

° One of the most memorable scenes in The Hobbit is the riddle competition between Bilbo and Gollum. Have students write riddles of their own using those in the story as frameworks and stage some competi-tions.

° Using the map of Wilderland at the end of the novel, have students work in pairs or small groups to create a tourist guide or brochure.

° Create a song about Smaug using his description in the novel.

° Have students create an illustration of a favorite scene in the novel.

° Have students explore runic alphabets at Omniglot: The Online Encyclopedia of Writing Systems and Languages, http://www.omniglot.com/writing/runic.htm.

° Have students use electronic and print resources to research the influences of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, other European mythologies, and Tolkien’s Roman Catholic beliefs on his writing.

° 5 °

www.Readthehobbit.com

suGGestions FoR FuRtheR ReadinG

Barron, T. A. Lost Years of Merlin series. Philomel.Cadnum, Michael. Raven of the Waves. Orchard, 2001.Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Seeing Stone (Arthur Trilogy, Book 1). Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2001.Crossley-Holland, Kevin. At the Crossing-Places (Arthur Trilogy, Book 2). Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2002.Crossley-Holland, Kevin. King of the Middle March (Arthur Trilogy, Book 3). Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2004.Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Norse Myths. Pantheon, 1980.Morpurgo, Michael. Beowulf. Illus. Michael Foreman. Candlewick, 2006.Olsen, Corey. Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.Sutcliff, Rosemary. The Sword and the Circle. Puffin, 1994.Sutcliff, Rosemary. The Light Beyond the Forest. Puffin, 1994.Sutcliff, Rosemary. The Road to Camlann. Puffin, 1994.Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005.Tolkien, J.R.R. The Silmarillion. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001.Tolkien, J.R.R. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Del Ray, 1979.White, T. H. The Once and Future King. Ace, 1996.

additionaL ResouRces

BBC History: Anglo-Saxonswww.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons

Houghton Mifflin Harcourtwww.readthehobbit.com

The Mythopoeic Societywww.mythsoc.org

The Tolkien Professorwww.tolkienprofessor.com

the hobbitby J.R.R. Tolkien

978-0-547-95383-0 Hardcover978-0-618-26030-0 Paperback978-0-547-95197-3 E-book978-0-547-95196-6 Enhanced e-book

Visit www.readthehobbit.com for more books by and about J.R.R. Tolkien, biographical information, character guides, and more.

Discussion guide written by Edward T. Sullivan, a freelance writer and librarian. © 2012 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

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